Saratoga Man Charged with Child Pornography Offenses

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Conner Buskey, age 20, of Saratoga Springs, New York, was arrested and charged on Friday with receipt and possession of child pornography. 

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

Buskey had previously been arrested by the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office and charged with raping a minor victim who was known to him.  Buskey’s phone was seized at the time of his arrest, and images and videos of child sexual abuse material were found, leading to the federal charges. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations.  The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Buskey appeared in federal court on Friday afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Paul J. Evangelista and was ordered remanded to custody.

Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III said: “Conner Buskey was arrested and charged in state court with raping a minor, but was inexplicably released on bail.  He is a danger to the community who should be detained, which is why my office has charged him.  I thank our partners at the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Saratoga County District Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations for their work in helping bring this individual to justice, and keeping our children and community safe from this alleged predator.”

Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Buffalo Field Office, said: “Conner Buskey is accused of abhorrent crimes against an innocent child, and would be roaming free if not for the federal charges brought last week. I applaud our HSI Albany personnel, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York for ensuring the wellbeing of the public, including and especially victims and vulnerable communities, remains the priority above all else.”

The charge of receipt of child pornography carries a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.  The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum of 20 years in prison.  Each charge carries a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life.  Buskey would also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.  A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter is prosecuting the case.

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.